Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1060260
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This invention relates to a method and apparatus for
preparing chip-type food products. In another aspect, this
invention relates to a method and apparatus for preparing
chip-type food products having predetermined size and shape.
In still another aspect, this invention relates to a method
and apparatus for continuously producing chip-type food
products having prede~ermined size and shape by subjecting
j a continuous strip of an edible dough material to frying con-
ditions while the continuous strip is maintained in a desired
configuration by me~ns of a continuous conveyor system.
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In recent years, the food processing industry has
experienced a tremendous growth in the area of convenience-
type snack foods. Of all convenience-type snack foods, chip-
type food products are the most popular. As used throughout
this disclosure, the term "chip-type food product" means
a thin cooked food product having a relatively large surface
area and a thickness of less than about 0.1 inch. Potato
based chip-type products are produced in large quantities to
meet the growing demand for convenience-type chip food
products. Other chip-type food products such as corn based
chips and the like are also being produced in larger quantities
each year.
The usual method for preparing convenience chip-type
snack products is by frying thinly sliced potato sections
or thin sections of an edible dough in a suitable frying oil.
Such edible doughs can be made of processed corn, blends of
corn and various flours, cooked fresh potatoes, reconstituted
dehydrated potato products and the like. Such doughs are
usually fashioned into relatively thin sheets and then are
cut into desired shapes and sizes. Thereafter, the individual
pieces of dough or thinly sliced sections of potato are
placed in a reservoir of a hot frying oil. After cooking the
thinly sliced sections of potato or the edible dough for a
predetermined period of time, the final cooked individual chip-
type products are removed from the frying oil. Such processes
can be either batch processes wherein the thin sections of
potato or the edible dough are cooked in suitable baskets or
the frying process can be carried out in a continuous manner
wherein the sections of potato or edible dough are introduced
into one end of a reservoir of the hot frying oil and the cooked
product is removed from the other end of the reservoir.
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It has been found that all chip-type produets prepared
by conventional means have uneven and random surface
curvatures. As a result, the cooked chip-type products pro-
duced by conventional methods must be packaged very loosely in
packages that have extremely low bulk densities. Additionally,
conventional processing techniques make it very difficult to
uniformly cook the materials to produce final chip products
having uniform moisture content, texture and color.
Attempts have been made recently to develop methods
and various types of apparatus to produce chip-type products
having uniform texture, shape, size and color. Such methods
and apparatus have either been unsuccessful or they have
proved to be extremely expensive because of the complicated
types of equipment used in the processes. For example, the
method disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,576,647 to Liepa, is
direeted to a very eomplieated method for preparing ehip-
type produets from dehydrated potatoes using individual molds
to eook individual ehips. It is apparent from an examination
of this patent that the apparatus is extremely eomplieated,
would be very eostly to produee and operate and would be
subjeet to a eontinuous need for eostly maintenanee. Ad-
ditionally the formation of individual ehips and eooking them
individually is a slow process that is eeonomieally unattraetive
when high volume production is required.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide an improved eontinuous proeess for preparing chip-
type produets. It is another objeet of this invention to
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provide an improved method and apparatus for producing chip-
type products having uniform size and shape. It is a further
object of this invention to provide a continuous method and
apparatus for producing chip-type products having uniform tex-
ture, size, shape and color.
Other aspects, ob~ects and advantages of this invention
will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon examining the
following disclosure,
The present invention is directed to an improved process
and apparatus for producing chip-type products having a
predetermined size and shape. The method involves the prepara-
tion of an edible dough material that is first fashioned into
a thin dough sheet and is then cut to form a continuous strip of
uncooked dough having a predetermined width and shape. Thereafter,
the continuous strip of uncooked dough material is passed to a
conveyor system that has cooperating surfaces uniformly spaced
apart to restrain the uncooked dough in a desired configuration
and transport the dough through a cooking medium which may be a
reservoir of hot frying oil.The continuous strip is cooked in
a restrained configuration to produce a continuous strip of cooked
product. Following the cooking process, the continuous strip of
cooked product is then separated into individual chips of pre-
determined size. The apparatus useful in carrying out the above-
mentioned process includes
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a continuous conveyor means to receive and restrain a continuous
strip of uncooked edible dough material and transport it through
a reservoir of cooking medium, for example hot frying oil to
produce the continuous strip of cooked product. The apparatus
also includes means to separate the continuous strip of cooked
product into chips of predetermined size.
The method and apparatus of this invention can best
be described by referring to the drawings which show a preferred
embodiment of the invention and which include the following:
FIGURE 1 is a schematic side view of the apparatus
of the invention showing the relative placement of various pieces
of equipment and the sequence of processing steps to produce the
chip-type products of predetermined size and shape.
FIGURE 2 is a top view of a section of a continuous
strip of edible dough after it is cut and prepared for frying in
one of the preferred embodiments of this invention.
FIGURE 3 is an end perspective view of a section of
the conveyor belt link apparatus utilized in one of the preferred
embodiments of the invention showing a detailed perspective view
of the individual belt links used to fabricate the endless moving
belts to receive and restrain a continuous dough strip (shown by
phantom outline) during the frying operation.
FIGURE 4 is a partial perspective view of one of the
preferred endless moving belt arrangements to receive and restrain
the continuous dough strip during frying.
FIGURE 5 is a partial sectional view taken along line
5-5 of Figure 1, illustrating the two sections of the endless
moving belt apparatus in mating relationship with the continuous -
strip of edible dough restrained between the concave and the con-
vex surface portions of the belt links.
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FIGURE 6 is a partial top view of a segment of the lower
endless moving belt of Figure 4 as the belt passes over a
sprocket wheel.
FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a section of the con-
tinuous strip of cooked product.
FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a single chip after it
is separated from the continuous strip of cooked product
illustrated in Figure 7.
The overall process can be most easily illustrated by
referring to Figure 1. In Figure 1, dough components 10 are
prepared by mixing and blending in suitable blending and
mixing equipment, not shown, and are conveyed by means of
conveyor 11 to extruder 12. Extruder 12 extrudes the dough
components into a thin, continuous sheet of uncooked dough
material 13 which is conveyed by means of conveyor 14 to ~-
dough conditioner 15 wherein the thin sheet of dough material
is cured to a desired moisture content. Usually, curing
chamber 15 is a series of continuous conveyor belts that
transport the dough sheet through the chamber in multiple
passes. This multiple passage of the dough through the chamber
increases the residence time of the dough in the chamber to
produce an even cure of the dough to produce a dough sheet
having the desired moisture content.
Following exit from curing chamber 15, dough sheet 13
is transported by means of conveyor 16 to suitable cutting
means 17 wherein the dough sheet is cut into interconnected
continuous strips of dough material 18 having predetermined
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widths. Scraps of the dough sheet from cutting means 17
can be collected in cutter hopper 17a for recycle to the
initial mixing and blending apparatus where dough components
10 are prepared for sheet formation.
Following the cutting operation, individual continuous
strips of dough material 18 are then continuously transported
by means of conveyor 19 to fryer 20. Fryer 20 is a large
reservoir containing frying oil 21 and is heated by suitable
heating means 22 to the desired cooking temperature.
10Disposed within fryer 20 is a continuous conveyor
system made up of a lower continuous conveyor belt means 23
and an upper continuous belt means 24. As more fully des-
cribed hereinafter, upper conveyor belt 24 meshes with lower
conveyor belt 23 to receive and transport the continuous
strips of dough material 18 through the reservoir of hot
cooking oil 21. It is preferred that the level of hot frying
oil 21 is above a substantial portion of the mating surfaces
of conveyor belts 23 and 24 so that the continuous strips of
dough material 18 can be preferably fried as they are trans- -
ported through the reservoir of hot cooking oil 21.
Conveyor belts 23 and 24 operably engage sprocket wheels
25. Sprocket wheels 25 can be operably connected to a suit- `~ '
able driving means (not shown) such that they may be rotated
at essentially constant speed. Suitable idler wheels
and rollers may also be utilized to support conveyor belts 23
and 24 as they pass through the reservoir of hot frying oil 21.
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Blower means 26 is disposed at the exit end of the
endless conveyor belt system whereby cooked continuous
strip 27 is subjected to a jet of air to blow off excess
frying oil as cooked strip 27 is removed from the reservoir
of hot cooking oil 21. After the removal of excess frying
oil by means of blower means 26, seasoning materials such as
salt, flavorings and the like can be sprinkled on continuous
cooked strip 27 by means of seasoning dispenser 28. As the
seasoning material is sprinkled onto the hot surface of
cooked strip 27, it adheres to the surface to impart the
desired seasoning effect. : :
Following the application of the seasoning material,
continuous cooked strip 27 is transported by means of con-
veyor system 29 to separating means 30. The purpose of
separating means 30 is to separate continuous cooked strip 27
into individual chips of predetermined size. Following the
separation of cooked strip 27 into individual chips,
individual chips 31 are then deposited onto conveyor means
32 and they are thereafter transported to suitable storage
20 means or to suitable packaging means wherein they may be `-
packaged in suitable containers for distribution. Usually,
conveyor system 29 is sufficiently long to allow continuous
cooked strip 27 to be cooled prior to passing it to separating
means 30.
The method and apparatus of this invention are particularly
applicable to the preparation of chip-type food products from
starchy vegetable materials. Thus, the method and apparatus ~:
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are applicable to the production of chip-type food products
from base materials including potatoes, corn, wheat flour,
rice flour, oat flour, barley flour and mixtures thereof and
the like. Many different recipes involving the use of at
least one of the foregoing starchy vegetable materials are
known in the art. Generally spéaking the method and apparatus
of this invention can be utilized to process any of such known -
recipes into chip-type products having predetermined size and
shape. However, as will be discussed hereinafter, care must
be exercised in the preparation of the dough material to mini-
mize undesired swelling and expansion of the dough material
during the cooking process.
In preparing the dough to be used in the method and
apparatus of this invention, it is preferred that the dough
components have a water content in the range of from about 25
to about 60 percent by weight and more preferably about
45 to 55 percent by weight in order to form them into a thin
sheet prior to cutting into the continuous strips that will
be subsequently cooked. Thus, it may be necessary to add
water to or remove water from the dough components to increase
or decrease respectively the moisture content to the desired
level prior to forming the sheet of uncooked dough.
The invention described herein is particularly applicable
to the production of potato based products. The invention is
also particularly applicable to the production of corn based
products wherein corn alone or in admixture with potato
solids are used to produce the dough.
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It has been found that potato based chip-type products
of exceptional quality can be produced by forming a dough
at least partially from potato solids. As used throughout this
specification, the term "potato solids" means cooked fresh
potatoes as well as dehydrated potatoes including potato
flakes, potato granules and the like. The term "potato
solids" also includes mixtures of the foregoing. As herein-
after outlined, where a potato based product is desired,
addition of large amounts of potato flour should generally be
avoided because of the high levels of free starch in potato
flour. The dehydrated cooked potatoes can be mixed with cooked
fresh potatoes in all proportions if desired. It has been
found that it is necessary to use cooked potatoes in order
that the starch may be "gelled" to give strength to the dough
sheet and to control expansion of the dough as it is cooked
in the process of this invention.
It is known that potatoes vary in their composition
depending upon the variety of potato, the growing conditions
of the potato, the time of harvest, the length that the
potato has been stored, etc. One significant variable that
is noted in the compositions of potatoes is the amount of
reducing sugar that is present in the potatoes.
It is, of course, known in the art that the reducing
sugar content of potatoes affects the color properties and
flavor of the cooked product. In order to obtain uniform
color and flavor qualities of cooked products made in
accordance with this invention, it is desirable to utilize
dough materials having relatively constant and low reducing
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sugar levels, as disclosed in U.S. 3,835,222 to Wisdom et al.
Therefore, in order to obtain a uniform cooked potato product
in large scale commercial operations, it is desired to closely
control the amount of reducing sugar in the potato dough.
The amount of reducing sugar can be conveniently controlled
by a fermentation process wherein a yeast such as brewer's
yeast is added to the potato based dough or the dough com- -
ponents followed by a fermentation process for a desired
period of time. Thus, the use of the fermentation treatment
may be desirable in some instances to control the reducing
sugar content of the dough material prior to cooking.
In addition to the use of potato solids as dough com-
ponents, other starchy materials can be optionally employed
as dough components. Examples of such other starchy materials
are rice flour, potato flour, potato starch, tapioca flour,
wheat flour and the like. When these other starchy materials
are utilized in conjunction with said potato solids, they are
facilely admixed with the potato solids by conventional means.
Such other starchy materials are preferably blended with the
potato solids in a dry blender followed by the addition of
water to raise the moisture content of the resulting dough
components to a range of from about 25 to about 60 percent
by weight. Preferably, the moisture content of the dough
components will be in the order of about 45 to about 55 percent
by weight. When other starchy materials are added to potato
solids as dough components, it is preferred that they be
added in such amounts that they consist of less than 40 percent
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by weight of the total weight of the solids of the dough.
If the fermentation process is carried out, the fermentation
can be on the thus moistened mixture of the potato solids
and the other starchy materials if present.
One particularly useful type of starchy material that
can be mixed with the potato dough components is a pregella-
tinized tapioca starch. Pregellatinized tapioca can be
employed to further improve the cohesiveness and the strength
of the continuous sheet of dough material and the continuous
strip of uncooked dough material, as described hereinafter.
Additionally, the pregellatinized tapioca starch advantageously
adds to the texture quality of the final cooked product.
The fermentation process can be conveniently carried
out by simply mixing from about 0.1 to about 1 percent by
weight of yeast, based on the total solids content, to the
dough components and maintaining under fermentation condltions
prior to forming them into the continuous sheet of dough
material. One convenient method of adding the yeast to the
dough or dough components is to form a slurry of the yeast
in water and thereafter mix the slurry with the dough or
dough components. The yeast may be admixed with the potato
solids alone or with the dough containing the potato solids.
Preferably when the potato solids (preferably in particle
form) are fermented, the fermentation is carried out with the
dough or the dough components having a water content in the
range of about 50 to about 60 percent by weight based on the
total wet weight of dough or dough components. Following the
combination of the yeast with the dough or dough components,
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the combination is maintained at a temperature in the range
of from about 75 to about 100F for a period of time suf-
ficient to reduce the reducing sugar to the level desired.
Generally, not more than about four hours are necessary.
Preferably, the fermentation will be carried out at a tem-
perature in the range of about 85 to about 95F with a relative
humidity in the fermentation zone of at least about 80 percent.
During the fermentation period, the reducing sugar content
of the potato dough components can be reduced to the desired
level. The foregoing suggested fermentation process is
usually not needed when the reducing sugar content of the
potato particles used as dough components is below 0.2 weight
percent.
Other components can be added to the dough components
either before or after the fermentation step if desired.
Such other products can include various emulsifier agents
that have been found to improve the texture of the final
product. Such other products also can be added to improve
the subsequent processing of the dough components into the
continuous sheet of dough material and in the formation of
the continuous strips of uncooked dough material. Exemplary
of emulsifier materials that can be utilized are monoglycerides
of various vegetable oils and meat fats, diglycerides of various
vegetable oils and meat fats and mixtures thereof and the like.
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It will, of course, be understood that the edible
dough that is processed in accordance with this invention
will usually consist essentially of the aforementioned
starchy vegetable materials including, but not limited to
wheat flour, oat flour, barley flour, other cereal flours
and mixtures thereof and the like. Edible doughs consisting
essentially of potato solids, corn and mixtures thereof can
be processed particularly well in accordance with this
invention.
Prior to the formation of the continuous sheet of un-
cooked dough material, it has been found desirable to have
the dough components in a particulate form as opposed to a
viscous doughy mass. Viscous dough masses are difficult to
handle and require a considerable amount of mechanical work
to form the doughy masses into the desired thin continuous
sheets of dough material.
Mechanical work exerted on the doughy materials, par-
ticularly shear-type work, tends to rupture the potato
particles to liberate free starch. Free starch, in large
amounts, can have a deleterious effect on the cooking properties
of the ~oughymaterials. For example, the dough may expand
too much during the cooking process to yield a cooked product
having blistered and wrinkled surfaces. Since one of the
prime advantages of the instant process is the formation of
products having very uniform texture, size, shape, appearance
and the like, free starch levels should be monitored to avoid
excessive expansion during the cooking process.
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Following the mixing and fermentation process, the dough
components are then formed into a continuous sheet of uncooked
dough material by conventional methods. Any suitable means
known in the art for forming thin sheets of dough material
can be utilized in this step. For example, the dough com-
ponents may be kneaded and rolled to a thin, flat sheet of
material or they may be subjected to an extrusion process.
In an extrusion process, the dough components are preferably
used in the granular or particulate form and are fed to an
extruder wherein they are extruded into a thin, flat con-
tinuous sheet of dough material by means of the extruder
screw and die head. One particularly useful type of extruder
is the conventional extruder that utilizes an extruder screw
within a barrel attached to an adjustable extruder die. In
this type of extruder, the dough components can be fed into
the rear portion of the extruder and the action of the
rotating screw within the barrel will create the motive force
for forcing the dough components out through the extruder die.
One such useful type of extruder is the well-known De Maco
extruder. In some instances, it may be desirable to add
heat to the area of the extruder die to decrease the viscosity
of the dough components and thus aid in the formation of a
uniform sheet of dough material.
As previously discussed, it is undesirable to have a
high free starch content in the dough prior to cooking.
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Therefore, the extruder should be chosen and operated with
care to prevent the unnecessary mechanical shear work on
the dough resulting in undesirable rupture of the individual
potato cells to liberate free starch during the sheet
formation step.
Normally, the lips of the extruder are adjustable in
order to provide a degree of adjustment of the thickness of
the material being extruded into the continuous sheet of
dough material.
In forming chip-type potato snack products, it has
been found desirable that the continuous sheet of dough
material has a uniform thickness in the range of about 0.020
to about 0.025 inches thick. Of course, the width of the
sheet material will be dependent upon the type and size of
sheet forming equipment utilized as well as the cutting
mechanism to be subsequently utilized to cut the continuous
strips of uncooked material.
When extruders are used to form the continuous sheet
of dough material, it has been found that the thickness of
the dough sheet can also be controlled to some extent by a
controlled stretching of the sheet material as it exits from
the extruder die. Thus, the thickness of the continuous sheet
of dough material can be more precisely controlled by utilizing
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106()Z6~
a set of take-up rollers that have an adjustable speed. By
utilizing the take-up roller apparatus, it ls possible to
stretch the continuous sheet of dough material as it exits
from the extruder die to produce the continuous sheet of
uncooked dough having the desired thickness. One additional
benefit that is obtained by using the stretching technique
to closely control the thickness of the continuous sheet of
dough material is the reduced tendency of the continuous sheet
of dough material to split after stretching.
Other types of extruders including circular extruders
can be utilized to form the continuous sheet of dough material.
When such circular die heads are used, the extruded envelope
of dough can be split and opened up into a flat sheet prior
to cutting it into continuous dough strips for frying.
Normally the continuous sheet of dough will be formed
into a flat sheet for subsequent processing including the
formation of continuous strips of dough material. The con-
tinuous sheet of dough material used to form the continuous
strips of dough that are subsequently cooked must have sufficient
strength to undergo the subsequent handling steps of drying,
cutting and frying without unnecessary breaking or tearing.
In view of the importance of the formation of a continuous
sheet of dough material, it will be understood that the
dough components themselves must be processed and maintained
to have relatively constant moisture content.
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As previously discussed, water content of the dough sheet
can vary from about 25 to about 60 percent by weight. When
processing potato-based products (i.e. containing more than
50 weight percent potato solids, based total solids weight),
it is preferred to maintain the water content within a range
of about 45 to about 55 percent by weight. Whatever the
water content selected for good processing, it is important
that the content be maintained relatively constant during a
substantial period of the extruder operation to avoid un-
necessary and constant changing of the extruder operation andthe take-up roller operation to produce the continuous sheet
of dough material having a uniform thickness.
Following the formation of the sheet of dough material,
it is desirable to condition the sheet to produce a dough
sheet having improved strength. It has been found that the
strength of the dough sheet can be increased considerably by
subjecting it to a curing or dough conditioning process wherein
the water content of the sheet is reduced. It should be em-
phasized, however, that while the curing step is desirable in
some instances, it may not be necessary if the dough sheet has
sufficient integrity. The curing process, if desired, can be
carried out by passlng the thin, flexible sheet of dough material
through a curing chamber or oven that consists of a series
of continuous belts passing through a zone having very closely
controlled temperature and humidity levels. Thus, by passing
the continuous sheet of dough material through the curing
oven, the sheet of continuous dough material is conditioned
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to produce a dough sheet having reduced water content and
generally increased strength. When processing potato based
dough, it has been found desirable that the continuous sheet
of dough material have a final water content hefore cutting
of from about 10 to about 25 percent by weight. Following
this conditioning step, it will be apparent that the dough
sheet will have shrunk slightly, both in width and in thickness
Thus, a dough sheet having an extruded thickness of about
0.020 to about 0.025 inches will shrink to a thickness of
about 0.015 to about 0.020 inches thick.
Following the curing step, the continuous sheet of
dough material is ready for the cutting process wherein it
is cut into continuous strips of dough material for sub-
sequent frying. The purpose of the cutting operation is
to produce a thin continuous strip of dough material that
can be restrained in a predetermined configuration during
the cooking operation. Thus, the cutting operation produces
the continuous strip of uncooked dough material having a
predetermined width. It, of course, will be understood that
if the dough sheet formation, as discussed above, is capable
of producing the continuous strips of dough material having
the desired width, then the cutting step can be eliminated.
However, in commercial operations it has been found more
desirable to form the large sheet of dough material and
thereafter cut the continuous strips, having predetermined
width and shape, from the large continuous sheets.
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The cutting operation can be accomplished by
conventional means using any suitable means known in the art.
For example, the thin sheet of dough material could be passed
to a series of knives that can cut the dough sheet into thin
continuous strips of dough if desired. However, such fixed
knives will produce only a thin, straight continuous strip of
dough material. While the thin, straight strips of dough
material are very easily produced, using knives and various
rollers, it is usually desirable to produce a shaped continuous
strip of dough material. When the thin, straight-edged continuous
strips of dough material are cooked, the resulting cooked
product will be in the form of a ribbon-like continuous strip
of cooked product. Since the continuous strip of cooked
product must thereafter be separated into individual chips,
such thin straight-edged strips usually result in the formation
of rectangular-shaped chip products.
One of the preferred embodiments of this invention
is directed toward producing a thin continuous strip of dough
material having a configuration such as is illustrated in
Figure 2. By using a cutting apparatus such as herein described,
the continuous strip of dough material 18, as illustrated in
Figure 2, can be produced and thereafter fried in a restrained
configuration that results in the formation of a continuous strip
of cooked product having uniform size and shape. The continuous
strip of cooked product can then be very easily separated into
individual chips having a pleasing and desirable form. To facili-
tate the separation of a continuous strip of cooked product into
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individual chips it has been found that the formation of a
continuous strip of interconnected dough sections connected
together with comparatively narrow segments of dough is
desirable, especially when the separation will be accomplished
by breaking. For example, the continuous strip of dough
material 18, shown in Figure 2, can have dimensions of about
two inches across the major width and the narrow interconnecting
segment can be considerably less e.g. about 3/8 to about 3/4
inch. Usually, the width of the narrow interconnecting segment
of the continuous strip of dough will be about 1/4 to 3/4
of the major width of the strip. While the widths of dough
material between the individual dough segments in the contin-
uous strip of dough material is preferably relatively narrow,
they should not be so narrow as to unduly~weaken the strength
of the continuous strip that is subsequently cooked and
processed. In one preferred embodiment of this invention,
thin continuous strip of dough material 18 illustrated in
Figure 2 can be cooked in a restrained configuration that
imparts a slight curve or bend to the strip to produce a
continuous strip of interconnected individual chips such as
is illustrated in the perspective view of Figure 7. There-
after, the cooked continuous strip 27 of interconnected chips,
as illustrated in Figure 7, can be passed to a suitable
separating device wherein the individual chips are separated
from the continuous strip of interconnected chips. The
resulting individual chip is illustrated by the perspective
view of Figure 8.
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To produce said continuous strip of dough material 18,
such as illustrated in Figure 2, a conventional cutting
means can be employed such as the known Riciarelli cutter.
It is, of course, known that the Riciarelli cutters are
reciprocating punch-type cutters that find utility in the
pasta industry. By passing the thin, flat continuous sheet
of dough material, following the dough conditioning step, to
the Riciarelli cutter, continuous strips of uncooked dough
material can be produced that can thereafter be fed to the
restraining devices, hereinafter described.
Other conventional cutting devices can also be utilized
to produce the continuous strip of dough material that is
processed in accordance with this invention. Other suitable
cutting devices include rotary cutters having cooperating
male and female portions to cut the sheet of dough material
into the desired interconnected continuous strips of dough.
It will, of course, be understood by those skilled in
the art that multiple continuous strips of dough material
can advantageously be cut from each sheet of dough material
fed to the cutter, such that each sheet of dough material
produces a multipliclty of continuous strips of uncooked dough
material. This multiplicity of continuous strips of dough
material can be continuously fed to a similar multiplici~y
of restraining means for cooking, thus increasing the output
of the commercial chip producing operation.
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The continuous strip of dough material 18 illustrated in
Figure 2 is only one preferred configuration of interconnected
continuous dough strips that can be processed according to
this invention. Numerous other types of shapes and con-
figurations can be fashioned, according to the desires of the
chip producer. For example, instead of a series of oval-
type chips, as illustrated, other shapes such as interconnected
squares, hexagons, octagons and the like can also be produced
and fried continuously according to this invention.
Since the cutting operation described above will result
in the formation of scrap material that is cut away from the
continuous strips of dough, it may be desirable to recycle
the scrap material to the dough sheet forming step. Thus,
the scrap from the cutting step can be collected in a suitable
cutter hopper and thereafter reprocessed by grinding and by
admixing with water to reconstitute it to the desired moisture
content and added to the dough components initially charged
to the extruder or the other sheet forming apparatus utilized.
This recycle step will materially reduce the waste involved
in carrying out the process of this invention.
It should be understood that the continuous strips of
dough material formed in the cutting step have sufficient
strength and flexibility to render them suitable to allow
subsequent processing. Thus, the shape of the cut continuous
strips should be such that there is a sufficient amount of
dough material bridging the individual chip portions in the
continuous strips to retain such sufficient strength and
flexibility to allow the continuous strip to be passed to the ;
suitable conveying and restraining means that are submerged
in the cooking medium.
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1(~6026~
After the continuous strips of dough material are formed,
they are passed to suitable restraining means that will
restrain the dough in a desired configuration while it is
cooked. The restraining means can be any means that will
continuously restrain the dough in a desired restrained
configuration while it is cooked. For example, different
types of molds or clamps can be utilized to restrain the
dough in the desired configuration as it is continuously
passed through the reservoir of hot frying oil. However, it is
most desirable to utilize a continuously moving restraining
apparatus that will receive the uncooked dough strip and
pass it through the cooking medium while it is restrained in
the desired configuration. One such continuous moving
restraining apparatus is illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Basically, the continuous restraining apparatus illus-
trated in the above-mentioned figures is a conveyor system
having cooperating surfaces that are uniformly spaced apart
in mating relationship with the continuous strip of dough
material restrained therebetween.
By utilizing the restraining apparatus, as illustrated
in the above-mentioned figures, it is possible to produce
uniform continuous strips of cooked product effectively
with a minimum of expense and maintenance of the equipment.
This type of apparatus represents a distinct improvement
over mold-type equipment that has been used in the past
for the processing of individual chips and other cooked
products. This type of apparatus also allows for high speed
production of chip-type products that cannot be achieved
using prior art methods where individual chips are cooked
without using an interconnected continuous dough strip.
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The apparatus can be more easily described by referring to
Figures 3 through 6. Basically, the conveyor system for re-
straining the continuous strips of dough material in the desired
configuration during the frying operation includes a lower inter-
connected continuous conveyor surface 23 and an upper intercon-
nected continuous conveyor surface 24. As described hereinafter,
the lower and upper surfaces are made up of interconnected belt
segments having cooperating surfaces that mate together producing
a uniformly spaced apart lower and upper surface that will
restrain the continuous strip of dough material while it is cooked.
One of the preferred types of cooperating belt segments
is illustrated in Figure 3 wherein a portion of lower inter-
connected continuous conveyor surface 23 and upper interconnected
continuous conveyor surface 24 are illustrated with lower belt
links 33 and upper belt links 34 spaced apart vertically to more
clearly illustrate their operation. Individual lower belt link
33 is comprised of a pair of oppositely disposed and spaced
apart mounting brackets 35. At the base of each of mounting
brackets 35, a pair of spaced appart mounting apertures
36 are located for attaching lower belt link 33 to a suitable
drive chain, as hereinafter described. The attachment of lower
belt links 33 is accomplished by means of lower carrier rods ~ -
43 which are passed through the aligned aperturès 36.~ (Lower
carrier rods 43 are illustrated only in fragmentary view in
Figure 3, but extend across belt links 33 as more fully illus-
trated in Figure 5.) Concave restraining surface 37 is rigidly
attached to the upper portion of mounting brackets 35. Concave
restraining surface 37 contains a plurality of oil apertures 38 to
allow hot cooking oil to contact the continuous strip of dough
material 18 (illustrated in phantom outline) whlle it is rest-
rained by concave restraining surface 37 as it passed through the
reservoir of hot cooking oil.
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Individual upper belt link 34 is comprised of a pair of
oppositely disposed and spaced apart mounting brackets 39 for
mounting the upper belt link assembly to a suitable drive chain,
not illustrated. Each of mounting brackets 39 have a pair of
mounting apertures 40 for attaching upper belt link assembly 34
to the drive chain. The attachment of upper bélt links 34 to the
drive chain is accomplished by means of upper carrier rods 44
which are passed through aligned apertures 40. (Upper carrier 44
are illustrated in fragmentary view in Figure 3, but extend
across belt links 34 as more fully illustrated in Figure 5.)
Convex restraining surface 41 is rigidly attached to mounting
brackets 39. A plurality of oil apertures 42 pass through con-
vex restraining surface 41 to allow hot cooking oil to contact
the continuous strip of dough material while it is restrained by
convex restraining surface 41 as it passes through the hot oil
reservoir.
As will be more apparent in Figure 6, the lower edges of
mounting brackets 35 are formed to allow an interconnecting of
adjacent lower belt links by flaring out one end of each of the
lower edges of mounting brackets 35 to a distance sufficient to
allow them to fit over the lower edge of the adjacent lower belt
link. By using this flared configuration, mounting apertures 36
of one lower belt link can be aligned with mounting apertures 36
of the adjacent belt link to allow suitable lower carrier rod 43
to be inserted through the aligned mounting apertures for attach-
ment to a suitable drive chain which is driven by sprocket wheel
25. The mating of concave restraining surface 37 and convex
restraining surface 41 with the spaced apart relationship are -
more fully described and illustrated in Figure 5.
Figure 6 illustrates one preferred method whereby lower
belt links 33 can be connected to a suitable driving train to
form lower continuous belt means 23. It will be apparent ;~
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that upper belt links 34 can be similarly connected together
to form upper continuous belt means 24.
As shown in Figure 6, a series of lower carrier rods 43
are utilized to connect the series of lower belt links 33
together in end-to-end relationship. Lower carrier rods 43
are passed through the aligned mounting apertures 36 in the
lower edges of mounting brackets 35. As previously noted,
one end of each of the lower edges of mounting brackets 35
is flared out to accommodate the lower edge of the adjacent
mounting bracket 35. This flared configuration allows the
adjacent lower belt links to be assembled in such a fashion
that apertures 36 can be aligned and such that concave res-
training surfaces 37 are disposed in a substantially continuous
relationship when the lower continuous belt means operates
in a substantially horizontal configuration. Since the concave
restraining surface is a substantially continuous trough-
like surface, it is not necessary to provide any particular
type of synchronization or alignment between the linear
movement of continuous dough strip 18 and the individual
lower belt links 33. It is, however, important that the
linear speed of advancing continuous dough strip 18 be sub-
stantially the same speed as the linear speed that lower
continuous belt means 23 and upper continuous belt means 24
advance. This represents a substantial improvement over prior
art type cooking equipment wherein individual molds must be
carefully synchronized with individual dough sections to
precisely deposit the individual dough sections on the in-
dividual molds.
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~060260
By examining Figure 6, it will be noted that the ends of
lower carrier rods 43 extend beyond the edge of mounting brackets
35 and that securing means 45 frictionally engage lower carrier
rods 43 to prevent lateral movement of lower belt links 33 along
the length of lower carrier rods 43. Immediately adjacent secur-
ing means 45, a conventional drive chain assembly 46 is mounted
on lower carrier rod 43. Drive chain assembly 46 is attached
to lower carrier rod 43 by means of a suitable cotter pin 47
disposed in an aperture drilled through lower carrier rod 43.
When a plurality of belt links are disposed along each of ;
lower carrier rods 43 to produce a multiplicity of lower con-
tinuous belt means, various types of spacers 48 may be disposed
between adjacent mounting brackets 35 to prevent lateral movement
of lower mounting brackets along lower carrier rods 43. Suitable
spacers 48 may be ordinary washers placed around carrier rods 43
between adjacent mounting brackets 35.
Drive chain 46 is sized so as to engage lower sprocket
wheel 25 which is driven by a suitable driver means not shown.
As will be evident from Figure 6, a plurality of lower belt
links 33 can be disposed along each of lower carrier rods 43.
As a result of this multiple arrangement of lower belt links 33
along lower carrier rod 43, it is possible to have a multi-
plicity of lower continuous belt means operating from a single
drive chain and sprocket wheel drive mechanism. This lends the
apparatus illustrated in the figures to high volume production
of chip materials.
It will be apparent that upper continuous belt means 24
will be comprised of upper belt links 34 that can be mounted
on upper carrier rods 44 in a manner similar to that described
above for the lower continuous belt means.
In the operation of the lower and upper continuous belt
means, it will be evident that both the lower continuous
belt means and the upper continuous belt means must be driven
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106~Z60
at essentially the same linear speed to suitably receive
and restrain the continuous dough strip added as it is
tran~ported through the frying oil reservoir 21. Therefore,
it is desirable that sprocket wheels 25 all be of the same
size and that all of the sprocket wheels be driven by a common
drive means.
Figure 4 further illustrates the operation of lower
continuous belt means 23 and upper continuous belt means 24.
In Figure 4, a portion of lower continuous belt means 23 and
upper continuous belt means 24 is illustrated showing the
entrv of continuous dough strip 18 as it is fed from cutting
means 17 ky means of conveyor 19. Continuous dough strip 18
is fed into the moving concave restraining surfaces 37 of
lower belt links 33 as lower continuous belt means 23 moves
at a linear speed equal that of advancing continuous dough
strip 18. Continuous dough strip 18 is loosely supported in
concave restraining surface 37 until it reaches a point where
moving convex restraining surfaces 41 of upper belt links 34
come into mating relationship with lower belt links 33.
Upper continuous belt means 24 moves at the same linear
as lower continuous belt means 23. As a result of the mating
relationship of convex restraining surface 41 with concave
restraining surface 37, continuous dough strip 18 is bent
into an arch-like configuration. Since lower continuous belt
means 23 forms a substantially continuous supporting sur-
face to support dough strip 18 and since upper continuous
belt means 24 forms a substantially continuous surface to
restrain dough strip 18, there is no particular need to
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1~60260
synchronize or align the individual links of the upper and
lower continuous belt means or the individual interconnected
dough sections so long as the upper and lower continuous
belt means and the continuing dough strip all move at sub-
stantially the same speed. This represents an important
improvement in the art wherein complicated and complex
synchronization and timing equipment is required when indi-
vidual chips are produced as in the aforementioned patent to
Liepa.
Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of
Figure 1. Thus, Figure 5 illustrates the mating relationship
of lower belt link 33 and upper belt link 34. By examining
Figure 5, it is noted that the upper edge of mounting
brackets 35 are in contact with the lower edge of mounting
brackets 39. This firm contact of the upper edge of mounting
brackets 35 with the lower edge of mounting brackets 39
creates a spaced mating relationship between concave restrain-
ing surface 37 and convex restraining surface 41. Within
the space formed by the mating relationship between concave
restraining surface 37 and convex restraining surface 41,
continuous dough strip 18 is restrained in an arch-like
configuration as it is conveyed through the hot frying oil.
In the preparation of potato chip-type products, the pre-
ferred distance between concave restraining surface 37 and
convex restraining surface 41 is from about 0.02 to about
0.1 inches. Since most edible continuous dough strips 18
will expand to fill the space between the concave and convex
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1060260 -~
restraining surfaces, the clearance between these surfaces
will determine the thickness of the final cooked product.
Therefore, it may be desirable to fabricate individual lower
belt links 33 and upper belt links 34 to allow the distance
between concave restraining surface 37 and convex restraining
surface 41 to be adjusted.-
Figure 5 also illustrates lower carrier rod 43 as itpasses through aligned mounting apertures 36 and upper
carrier rod 44 as it passes through upper mounting apertures 40.
Figure 4 further illustrates the relationship of the
plurality of lower belt links 33 and upper belt links 34
as they form lower continuous belt means 23 and upper con-
tinuous belt means 24 respectively. As noted from Figure 4,
the plurality of lower belt links 33 are mounted such as to
form a substantially continuous and planar concave restraining
surface upon which continuous dough strip 18 is uniformly
supported as it travels along the length of fryer 20 in a
substantially horizontal path. Likewise, the axrangement of
the plurality of upper belt links 34 is such that a sub-
stantially continuous convex restraining surface 41 is formed
to uniformly engage the upper surface of continuous dough
strip 18 as it travels along the length of fryer 20 in a
substantially horizontal direction.
As depicted in Figure 1, it is desirable that continuous
dough strip 18 is received by concave restraining surface 37
and that convex restraining surface 41 engages the upper
surface of continuous dough strip 18 and forces continuous
dough strip 18 into conformity with the arched space between
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60Z60
concave restraining surface 37 and convex restraining surface
41 prior to entry of the continuous dough strip into the
reservoir of hot cooking oil. As the thus restrained con-
tinuous dough strip 18 travels along a substantially
horizontal path along the length of fryer 20, it is submerged
in frying oil 21. Since oil apertures 38 are disposed along
the entire surface of concave restraining surface 37 and since
oil apertures 42 are disposed along the entire surface of
convex restraining surfaces 41, the hot frying oil intimately
contacts both sides of continuous dough strip 18 as it
travels along the horizontal length of fryer 20. As a result,
continuous dough strip 18 is cooked into a crisp, uniformly
cooked continuous strip 27.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a section of the
cooked continuous strip 27 as it exits from the reservoir of
frying oil 21.
As moving cooked continuous strip 27 exits from the
reservoir of frying oil 21, a substantial amount of frying
oil drains from the surface of cooked continuous strip 27
by virtue of the incline of lower continuous belt means 23.
Excess frying oil can be removed from the surface of cooked
continuous strip 27 by directing a jet of air along the surface
of cooked continuous strip 27 by means of blower means 26.
It has been found that even though hot cooked continuous
strip 27 has a water content in the range of about 1 to 10
weight percent and generally between about 1 and 4 percent
by weight, it is still pliable and will bend to a certain
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106~Z60
degree without fracturing as it exits from the hot frying oil.
As a result of the ability of hot cooked continuous strip 27
to bend without fracturing, it is possible to slightly bend
cooked continuous strip 27 and place it on conveyor 29 for
removal from the vicinity of fryer 20. While the cooked
continuous strip is still in a heated condition, it can be
passed beneath seasoning dispenser 28 wherein suitable
seasoning material such as salt, barbecue flavor and the like
can be dispensed on continuous strip 27.
Following the deposition of the desired seasoning
material, conveyor 29 passes cooked continuous strip 27 to
separating means 30. If desired, cooling means such as fans
and the like can direct cooling fluids such as air across the
surface of cooked continuous strip 27 as it passes along
conveyor 29. As cooked continuous strip 27 cools, it becomes
rather brittle and frangible. This property facilitates the
separation of cooked continuous strip 27 into individual
chips 31. Thus, separating means 30 can be a conventional
cutting means that will suitably cut continuous cooked strip 27
into individual chips or it can be a breaker roller whereby
a mechanical force is applied to cooked continuous strip 27
to break it into individual chips of desired proportions.
When a continuous dough strip such as the strip illus-
trated in Figure 2 is cooked to produce a cooked strip of
product such as illustrated in Figure 7, the separation into
individual chips can be very easily accomplished by passing
the cooked strip, as illustrated in Figure 7, through a series
of breaker rollers. These brea]cer rollers can be circular
rotating rollers either with or without lugs to fracture the
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- 1060260
cooked strip into individual chips. Because the weakest
point of the cooked continuous strip illustrated in Figure 7
is that point wherein the individual chip segments are joined
together, the breaking can very easily be accomplished such
as by merely passing the chip beneath a roller surface lo-
cated slightly below the planar surface of continuously
moving cooked continuous strip 27, such as is depictea in
Figure 1. Various other means known in the art can be
utilized to separate the continuous strip of cooked product
into individual chips having the desired shape and size.
It will be apparent that the illustrated configuration
of the lower belt links and the upper belt links in a ccncave
and convex configuration is one of choice and that many dif-
ferent types of configurations can be utilized if so desired.
For example, the instant process lends itself readily to
the production of essentially flat chip-like materials.
However, when a curved or arch-like configuration is
utilized, it is preferred that the concave portion of the
restrained continuous dough strip will open upwardly so as
to allow for more even cooking of the restrained continuous
dough section. It is theorized that if the restrained
continuous dough section is cooked with the concave portion
facing downwardly, water vapor can collect in the upper portion
of the concave surface and result in uneven cooking of the
continuous dough strip. Therefore, if the concave portion is
faced upwardly it can allow the vaporized water to more
easily escape from the surface of the cooking dough strip.
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:
Aside possible convenience, it will also be apparent that
there is no particular need for the continuous dough strips
being passed through the reservoir of hot frying oil in a
substantially horizontal orientation. Thus, the continuous
dough sections can be passed through the hot frying oil in a
vertical orientation if so desired.
In order to assure an even and uniform cooking of the
continuous dough strip, it is desired that the plurality of
oil apertures 38and 42 in the lower and upper belt links be
be sufficiently numerous and well-spaced as to allow intimate
contact of the hot frying oil with both sides of the con-
tinuous dough strip as it is passed through the reservoir of
hot frying oil. Therefore, it is preferred that the apertures
be relatively small with the diameter of each aperture being
less than about 3/8 inch. If the diameter of the individual
oil apertures exceeds 3/8 of an inch, it has been found that
water dispersed throughout the dough can more easily vaporize
into steam during the frying process and may cause bubbles
and other irregularities to form on the surface of the con-
tinuous dough strip as it is fried. In addition to thepossible irregularities formed on the surface of the cooked
continuous strip, some difficulty may also arise from an
expansion ofthe dough material into larger oil apertures
if employed and thus result in a breaking of the cooked
continuous strip of material as it passes out of the reservoir
of hot frying oil.
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- 1060260
Preferably, the surfaces of the concave and convex
restraining surfaces of the lower and upper belt links will
be made of a suitable metallic material, such as stainless
steel with oil apertures fabricated therein having a diameter
of about 1/16 of an inch. It is also preferable that the
centers of the apertures be spaced uniformly along such
surfaces on about 3/16 inch spacings. Relatively rigid
mesh material can also be utilized to fabricate the concave
and convex restraining surfaces from, if desired.
Since the lower continuous belt means and the upper
continuous belt means are subjected to contact with the hot
frying oil as well as the dough material during the frying
operation, it is desirable that all components thereof be
fabricated of a suitable corrosion resistant material such
as stainless steel. Likewise, the sprocket wheels driving
the belt means should be fabricated of any suitable corrosion
resistant material such as for example, stainless steel.
The fryer used to contain the hot cooking oil is
preferably sized to conform to the shape of the continuous
conveyor system disposed therein to reduce the requirement
for excess volumes of frying oil in the frying oil reservoir.
When the frying operation is carried out, it is desirable
to utilize a vegetable oil such as cottonseed oil, corn oil,
soy bean oil, peanut oil, coconut oil and the like or mixtures
thereof as the frying oil. The temperature of the oil can vary
between about 325F to about 400F with a frying time between
about 10 to 60 seconds. Of course, the frying conditions
11:)6~)260
will be dependent upon the composition of the cooked dough,
the thickness of the continuous dough strip, the desired
degree of cooking, the temperature of the frying oil, etc.
One convenient method of controlling the frying time is by
adjusting the linear speed of the dough strips as they are
cut and conveyed through the reservoir of hot frying oil.
The individual chips will be of substantially uniform
shape and size that makes them particularly applicable to
packaging in nesting configuration such as in cylindrical,
10 barrels or cans. The packaging, of course, can be carried ; ,
out using conventional packaging techniques.
While the foregoing specification has been directed
to a preferred process of frying a continuous strip of dough
material, the method and apparatus are a~so applicable to
using other types of cooking mediums including but not limited
to oven baking, boiling and the like, wherein continuous
strips of dough materials are cooked in a suitable manner -
while being restrained in the desired configuration as herein
discussed. ,
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
many different modifications and changes may be made in the
foregoing disclosure and thus, it must be appreciated that ~'
such changes and modifications can be made or followed
without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.
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